


love sought

by greywardenblue



Category: October Daye Series - Seanan McGuire
Genre: Gen, Pre-Relationship, Toby's cats, comfort hugs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:13:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21902047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greywardenblue/pseuds/greywardenblue
Summary: Toby brings home a new family member. Set after One Salt Sea.
Relationships: October "Toby" Daye & Tybalt
Comments: 12
Kudos: 36





	love sought

**Author's Note:**

> I saw a Twitter post that broke my heart and also made me really angry, so this is how I chose to cope with it.

“May? Jazz? Quentin?”

Toby called the names of her loved ones as she walked into the quiet living room with the curtains closed. She may not have been pureblood, but she could get around her own home with the lights off, even if it only had been her home for a few months now.

She heard footsteps running down the stairs and towards the kitchen. “Hi Toby! May and Jazz are out, and also Raj is here,” Quentin shouted in her general direction, then he was already running back upstairs, presumably after grabbing a snack from the kitchen table. Toby rolled her eyes, but decided to let him go. Surely he was in the middle of a game, or something equally important. 

Spike raised its head and looked curiously at the pet carrier in Toby’s hand. She set it down and opened the door, then stepped back. Lucy had spent the journey at the very back of the carrier, wary of another sudden change. Toby could understand that.

“Whenever you’re ready,” she said quietly. “I’ll go get you something to eat, okay?”

“And who is that?” a voice asked from behind her. She breathed in the scent of pennyroyal as she turned around.

Toby’s hand twitched as she took in the sight of Tybalt, walking round her home like he belonged there. He had been doing that more often lately, just showing up without a warning - that wasn’t news, but he used to do it  _ outside _ the house - and making himself at home. May welcomed him, Quentin grumbled but tolerated it for Raj’s sake, and Toby was too wrapped up in her own grief to say anything.

They looked at each other for a few quiet moments, then Tybalt’s eyes were drawn to Lucy cautiously stepping out of the carrier and looking around. Toby felt herself blushing, suddenly embarrassed. She had always lived with cats, mundane ones, and she liked to think she knew a lot about them. But she never knew exactly what would offend their King. (She had learned a long time ago not to use the seemingly innocent phrase “cat owner” anywhere he could hear.)

“This is Lucy,” she said as the cat wandered closer, sniffing Tybalt’s foot. “She’s eleven, and she’s going to live here now.”

Tybalt said nothing to her as he bent down to take Lucy gently into his arms. The elderly cat pressed herself against him and let out a heart wrenching meow. Toby watched them for half a minute or so, having a conversation of movements and small noises she couldn’t understand.

“I’m not sure she wanted to come with me,” Toby said finally. “But the people at the shelter said she didn’t like it there. I thought…” She shook her head, trailing off. Suddenly, she felt very tired, all the adrenaline and righteous anger from earlier leaving her body.

Cagney appeared in the doorway, meowing curiously. Tybalt crouched down and let the two cats examine each other.

“Be kind,” Tybalt said firmly, then set Lucy down, and gently pushed Toby in front of him all the way out of the room. They stopped just outside the door, and after Tybalt pulled it shut, they were standing almost chest-to-chest.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. “Her human left her at the shelter?” Tybalt asked.

“She did. Lucy’s note said she raised her from kittenhood, but then her new boyfriend didn’t want cats.” Toby shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know what I was doing there in the first place. I just went in to walk around a bit, then I saw Lucy and I talked to the employees and… I just told them to give me the paperwork.”

Tybalt leant against the door, crossing his arms. “I was under the impression that adoption was a more complicated process than that.”

Toby was silent for a moment. “I may have used some persuasion.” He didn’t answer, and Toby was feeling increasingly like he was judging her. That was never a good feeling, but especially not when it was about her ability to take care of her cats. “Look, I know maybe she’s not happy to be here because she wishes she could go back, but she can’t, and I promise-- she’ll get everything I can give her here. She’s going to be fine.”

Tybalt’s hand reached out, and Toby tensed as his fingers wrapped around her arm, but she didn’t move. When Tybalt tugged her gently closer, she didn’t step away.

“Toby,” he said, and she turned her face away so he wouldn’t see how good it felt to hear that name from his lips. “You don’t look _ fine _ .”

Toby let out a deep sigh and stepped closer, her arms wrapping around her friend.  _ Friend _ . Tybalt had called them that before, but it was still difficult to accept the word - maybe because it didn’t quite feel right. But right now she needed a friend, and Tybalt was here, just as he’d always been. So _ friend  _ would have to do.

His arms wrapped around her in return, and for a moment, she let herself believe they’d be fine.

**Author's Note:**

> Obligatory disclaimer that I know introducing new cats to each other is a longer process and should be handled carefully, but I figured since Tybalt is their King and can literally talk to them, his presence would help smooth things over.


End file.
